Need information on Rough Green Snakes

[Clarice]

ok, i am looking into buying a snake..

I am interested in the Rough Green Snake. What do they need for proper care? as in..

Tank size?
daily care?
how often do i clean the tank?
What all do they need in their tank?

Any tips/comment will be helpful. Thanks :)

[Nicky]

First of welcome to ssnakess.com :D This should actually be posted on the general colubride forum and i'm sure one of the moderators will move it for you sooner or later. I have an extremely good book on them by Philippe de Vosjoli called the basic care of Rogh green snakes which I would highly recomend you buy before purchasing one of these snakes.

A 20 gal will comfrontably fit an adult ( they get around 33 inches as an adult and love to climb so you'll need to provide alot of branches and vines. Make sure you provide a water bowl big enough for your snake to soak in at least two hide boxes on either side of the cage and they like alot of plants ( fake work better) to feel secure.

Also if this is your first snake and you want one you can hold and play with this snake is NOT for you. These guys stress easy and are very fragile a foot drop could prove fatal to them.

You will need to clean about once a month by taking everything out and put your snake in another small rubbermaid and use some kind of reptile disenfectent or a blech soultion and clean down the entire cage. Than refil the cage with fresh bedding. Also you must spot clean whenever you see your snake has gone to the bathroom ( usually in water bowl where you will have to take it out and disenfect.)
The intresting thing about these snakes is that unlike most they eat insects opposed to mice. Which means you'll have to feed daily compared to weekly.
The other thing about these snakes that few have managed to keep them sucessfully for long. According to the book which is a few years old now says to expect around 5 years tops.
The temp should be around 70 degrees f and a basking spot of 80-85 degrees f is needed.

i suggest you go out and buy a few books and do alot more reseacrh befor you consider buying one of these beutiful snakes.

Goodluck and if you have any futher questions don't hesistate to ask.

Cheers
Kayla

[Clarice]

Do you know of any other snakes that dont eat mice that would be good? Or any that i can hold/play with? i wouldnt have a problem with not being able to hold it much, just if there are any better options..


Thanks :)

[rwg]

Out of curiosity Clarice, what's your objection to having a snake that eats rodents? When I chose my first reptile, I had it narrowed down to either a leopard gecko or a cornsnake. We chose the snake because we figued it was easier to have frozen mice than live crickets (noisy, smelly, escaping all the time).

A cornsnake is a great pet. They are beautiful, docile, easily handled, long-lived, and it is rare to find one that doesn't eat frozen/thawed rodents.

Roy

[Wish fire]

mmmm no I can't think of any other snakes that eat insects. No handling a rough green snake is not a great idea, simply as it stresses them way to much and even the slightest fall could be fatal. If you want a snake you can hold there are plenty of other snakes just look around and do some research i"m sure you"ll find some good options>
cheers
**nicky (kayla) on WIsh fire's account**

[BWSmith]

Many of the snakes that do not eat rodents do not do well in captivity or are aggressive. Water snakes will eat F/T smelt as will most Garter Snakes. Water snakes are notorious for aggression, and Garters can be aggressive or defensive (musk) but not to the same extent. Ringnecks and DeKays may do well on insect prey, but do not make very good captives.

Oddly enough, non-rodent feeding snakes should generally be reserved for more advanced keepers as their care is often more demanding. They are also generally smaller snakes which do well from very little or no handling. Finally, it is usually more advanced keepers that tend to appreciate the more innocuous species.

[Nicky]

Well said BW lol garters and water snakes never even crossed my mind, heh. Clarice whatever snake or lizard you eventually end up buying, please try and take as much time as possible to do all the research as there are way to many cases of snakes being bought without being properly cared for. We are always here to answer questions so don't hesistate to ask:)
Cheers
Kayla

[Manitoban Herps]

I have a smooth green snake, I will post some pics soon, have had him for almost a year.....very nice snake, surprisingly is captive bred :)

Careful not to feed them too big of crickets or else there could be problems....

[BWSmith]

Smooth Greens are actually supposed to make better captives than rough greens. I have only kept the latter as they are native to my area.

[peterm15]

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57343

i asked the same question.... id suggest going for a ball or spotted or childrens python. they may eat rodentd but from what ive read there realitive small easilied handled and alot of places will feed or train them to feed off F/T... it will be very hard to find the snake you want so your better off going for another..........

look into the legless lizard.. i know absolutely nothing about them but im sure they eat crix...

[zero&stich]

I would also like to point out, least here in Vermont, owning rough or smooth greens, garters, and ribbons are all protected You cannot own any of these species without a permit in the State of Vermont and it is becoming true with most states from what I hear. So I would also check with your local game warden or get in contact with your Wildlife Center to see if these snakes are legal to own without a permit. Most native species have are protected, even if you get one through a breeder. No permit in Vermont means none of these species.

That is of corse your still concidering them. :)
Not trying to 'down you' but if anything else, this subject should be carefully thought out and researched before even researching on the snake itself, to find out if its legal to own such a species without a permit.

Funny how Corns are legal here,lol.

[snakehunter]

BUT most of the snakes mentioned are so small and delicate that they arent suitable for handling, greens, ringnecks and browns are lookat ONLY waters and garters are hearty snakes tho.